Yesterday House members of the 14^th Congress (2007-2010) proved how low it could go, and eventually, they did not disappoint. Its last session was not even a real one. Some lawmakers did not care if the last session, a symbol of the kind of legacy the 14^th Congress will leave its country, was adjourned because of a lack of a quorum.

During the roll call, representatives deliberately filed out of the session hall, loitering right outside as the proponents of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill clamored for a majority attendance. After promising the country that no efforts would be wasted, House Speaker Prospero Nograles could only allude to a line in a famous ‘80’s song. “I did my best, but I guess my best wasn’t good enough.”

Truly, the legislative journey was an adventure for the FOI bill, which aims to outline a clear, uniform process for accessing public documents in a government where access depends on the whims of government agencies and where executive privilege is king. Gone would have been the days when journalists and non-government entities would wait for months to receive requested documents. The law would have been a reason to kill the Ombudsman circular limiting access to the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Networks (SALNs) of government officials for journalistic, academic and judicial purposes. For 14 years, FOI advocates lobbied for a law clarifying the constitutional provision stated in the 1987 Constitution and it was in the 14^th Congress that the bill got the farthest. All that was left to do was for the House of Representatives to ratify the bicameral committee report and for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to sign it into a law.

It was that close. In fact, Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello said weeks ago that ratifying the committee report should only take minutes for the House. All the debates have been accounted for in the combined versions of the House and the Senate. Yet Camiguin Rep. Pedro Romualdo vehemently opposed the passage, saying that the bill “did not pass any debate.”

Apparently, it seems it was not Romualdo’s fault that he, the chairperson of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, did not initiate such proper debate while the bill was on the floor for deliberation. He decided that the bill needed more discussion when it is already ready for ratification—as if over two years of legislative procedure is not enough.

If indeed thorough discussion of the FOI bill was lacking, it points to how terribly sluggish Congress can be. However, Romualdo does not see this and points his finger at the media. If the media wants access to information, which is sanctioned by the 1987 Constitution, Romualdo and the rest of the Right of Reply proponents want access to the media through equal space and airtime to the replies of government officials.

Never mind that the good congressman was changing the subject; but to dictate upon the press what it should and should not write is to spit on the hallowed tenets of free speech enshrined in the Constitution.

What a way to kill the bill: if all else fails, boycott Congress’s final session so proponents would have no choice but to file it again. The picture is laughable, whether Congress was conspiring to leave everyone hanging and continue the Arroyo administration’s legacy of secrecy, or if representatives were simply too lazy to walk the red carpet to the session hall. Either way, its actions speak louder than whatever song lyrics Nograles can unearth from his tired repertoire.

Because of the majority who ignored the last session, the 14^th Congress has lost its last chance to redeem itself. It will be remembered as a Congress that favored government secrecy over transparency, filled with traditional politicians owing loyalty to a president submerged in accusations of corruption.

The 139 missing representatives have bastardized the democratic process as well as the very constituents they are supposed to represent. These representatives’ absence is a slap to the face of freedom-loving Filipinos everywhere being denied access to pertinent documents. Their absence at this very crucial vote has very clearly magnified the inefficiency of Congress, as well as its self-interested members. What could be running in the head of Congressman X, as he shuffled up and down that corridor in the Batasan, killing time, while the likes of Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante vainly tried to bring the FOI bill to the floor?

In July the 15^th Congress will convene, but many familiar faces will still greet the cameras. Amid warnings that the Arroyo bloc would ceaselessly slow down the bill’s progress, it is now up to the new administration bloc in Congress and on the political will of the next president to protect and further this right sanctioned in the Constitution.

Presumptive president Benigno “Noynoy” C. Aquino III was one of the senators who approved the bill after all. He may have a mountain of inherited problems to hurdle, but the FOI bill should be among the top things in his agenda, if he is to prove his commitment to change and his advocacy of government transparency.  We can only remain vigilant, and hope for the best.

FactCheck UP Diliman called the College of Mass Communication (CMC) electoral campaign “the dirtiest in this year’s election.” We will not concede to such a hasty generalization. However, we cannot dismiss the fact that recent events may have contributed to this assertion.

On Feb. 11 and 16, candidates from the Interdependent Student-Centered Activism (ISA) were seen wearing yellow shirts bearing their nicknames on the back. On Feb. 17, the Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP CMC (STAND UP-CMC) filed a complaint with the College Student Electoral Board (CSEB), citing Art. 8 Sec. 1 of the University Student Electoral Code (USEC): “The giving, distribution and use of buttons, badges, matches, T-shirts, food, multimedia promotional materials, gifts and other forms of political gimmickry shall be prohibited.” The parties faced off when the CSEB convened on Feb. 18. ISA was warned for the violation. According to the USEC, penalties could range from formal warning to the disqualification of the entire slate.

But the story does not end there. On Feb. 19, ISA said it was agreed upon in a meeting between the parties and the incumbent student council that only shirts with the name and/or logo of the party—not the candidates’ nicknames—would be banned.  The party filed a counter-complaint accusing STAND UP-CMC members of wearing on Feb. 17 t-shirts bearing the name and logo of STAND UP-CMC. In defense, STAND UP-CMC said the person seen wearing the shirt was John Francis C. Losaria, who was part of the campaign team in 2008, when the use of shirts was still allowed. STAND UP-CMC said he was not a member of the party or of the campaign team this year.

The case is now up for the CSEB to decide, just hours before the first ballot is cast on the 24^th.

It all boils down to “political gimmickry.” Even Prof. Lourdes Portus, College Secretary and de facto CSEB chair, said its definition laid out in the USEC is vague. The Code only said shirts were not allowed, but it did not explicitly state what constitutes a gimmicky shirt. Should it have the logo and name of the party? Or does a candidate name on a shirt suffice for a warning from the CSEB? Do these rules extend to alumni and former party members as well? Even the penalties for violations during campaign period are not clear for college candidates. That has been open for individual colleges to interpret.

In times that the system is flawed, aspiring student leaders should let their consciences be their guides and err on the side of caution. Do the parties’ actions still respect the students’ right to fair and honest elections, where money or any other form of undue advantage does not determine who wins the most seats?  In the same way loopholes in the national Omnibus Electoral Code are exploited to allow premature campaigning for the 2010 national elections, the hazy limitations imposed in student campaign season leave much room for the imprudent to engage in political gimmickry and exorbitant spending.

We are not here to define the specifics of political gimmickry. That is a task we urge the CSEB to accomplish by drafting Implementing Rules and Regulations to clarify the vague points of the Code. We suggest adding a limit to the amount parties and individual candidates can spend, considering that a similar provision exists in the Omnibus Election Code.

More so, we are not here to point fingers at any particular party.  The merits of their cases are for the students to decide. For that reason, we urge the parties to come clean—to tell all the students the motives behind their actions and to clarify reports—both verified and unverified—and accusations about alleged violations of the Code. In a college that prizes transparency, that is an obvious must.

Let us not forget that this issue is just one of the many factors influencing the vote. We urge students to look at each candidates’ platforms and track records. Instead of asking around and relying on second hand information, ask the candidates themselves. Find out what their stand on the issues are.

We need to prove that the CMC voting public is not as dumb as some people make it seem. The CMC campaign has been called the “dirtiest campaign” out there. It is up to all of us to clear our name.

CMC Student Council, AY 2009-2010

The two competing parties at the College of Mass Communication will share seats in the next academic year’s student council, seven to six, in favor of the college chapter of the Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP (Stand-UP).

While rival party Interdependent Student-centered Activism (ISA) got the CMC representative to the USC post, top seats at the council went to Stand-UP.

CMC students elected incumbent council vice chair Rupert Francis Mangilit of Stand-UP as the new chair and his running mate Paula Bianca Lim as vice chair. Candidate Jihad Karlo Mariano won as council secretary.

ISA’s Jo Javan Cerda won as CMC representative to the USC, and Michelle Miranda as the new council treasurer.

The eight seats for department representatives were equally shared by the two parties. Representative bets of Stand-UP both won in the Journalism department, while ISA bagged both seats for Film Institute representatives.

The parties shared one representative each for the Broadcast Communication and Communication Research departments.

Stand-UP held the majority last year with eight seats, including the top posts from college representative to treasurer. Outgoing council chair Marian Kris Santos ran this year for USC councilor under Stand-UP but eventually lost.

The last time the CMC-SC had a similar party division was in 2007, when ISA first ran in the elections. ISA then held the top posts in the council with college representative Anne Kathleen Malolos and chair Karol Mark Yee.

Voter turnout this year was 57.22 percent, which edged last year’s 56.88 percent and 2007’s 55.96 percent. Data from the College Student Electoral Board showed 655 students voted out of the 1,144 population, with more than half of the voters coming from the Journalism and Broadcast Communication departments.

College of Mass Communication Student Council winners

CMC Representative to the USC:
Jo Javan Cerda, BA Journalism (ISA)
Chairperson:
Rupert Francis Mangilit, BA Journalism (Stand-UP)
Vice Chairperson:
Paula Bianca Lim, BA Broadcast Communication (Stand-UP)
Secretary:
Jihad Karlo Mariano, BA Communication Research (Stand-UP)
Treasurer:
Michelle Miranda, BA Communication Research (ISA)
Broadcast Communication Representatives:
Micaela Faeska Salonga (ISA)
Athena Keziah Chavez (Stand-UP)
Communication Research Representatives:
Claire Pantoja (ISA)
Michelin San Diego (Stand-UP)
Film Institute Representatives:
Grace Simbulan (ISA)
Thesa Tang (ISA)
Journalism Representatives:
Kelvin Paulino (Stand-UP)
Judy Ann Espiritu (Stand-UP)

Updated Feb 27 to correct last year’s turnout to 56.88%, not 55.96% -Ed

Chairperson: Abella= 1093 || Bagro = 1083 || Tan = 1038

Vice Chairperson: Cadiogan= 1285|| Tan = 1053 || Panganiban = 812

Nitong mga nagdaang buwan ay nagtataka ang karamihan sa mga mag-aaral sa umano’y tila pananahimik ng pahayagang ito–sa gitna ng pagkakabuwag sa mga tambayan ng mga organisasyong nakabase sa kolehiyo, sa laban ng mga mag-aaral laban sa pagtaas ng matrikula sa Unibersidad, at sa umano’y paglago ng ekonomiya na ipinagmamayabang ng kasalukuyang pamahalaan (na kontra naman sa mga datos na inilabas nang sumunod na araw tungkol sa pagtaas ng mga insidente ng pagkagutom ng mga mamamayan). Nangalahati na ang kasalukuyang taong akademiko ay hindi pa rin nakapaglalabas ng kahit iisang isyu man lamang ang TNP upang talakayin at ipahayag ang saloobin ng mahigit sanlibong mga mag-aaral na nasa kolehiyong ito.

Dalawang dahilan ang maiuugnay sa pagkakaantala ng paglabas ng inyong pahayagan.

Una, nakakalungkot, at higit pa’y nakakainis, na malamang walang tumutugon sa tawag ng Konseho ng mga Mag-aaral sa mga interesadong kumuha ng editoryal na pagsusulit para sa TNP–isang problemang nagtagal ng halos isang semestre. Aapat na mag-aaral ang sumagot sa panawagang pamunuan ang isang pangkat ng mga mag-aaral na patuloy na mag-uulat ng mga pangyayari at magpapahayag ng mga saloobin tungkol sa mga suliraning hinaharap sa kasalukuyang panahon.

Ikalawa, kahit na nagamit na ang lahat ng paraan–pakikipag-usap, text messages sa mga mobile phone, at maging ang e-mail sa Internet–upang malaman na naghahanap ng mga interesadong gumawa para sa pahayagan, nagtetengang-kawali pa rin ang mga mag-aaral–mga taong magiging bahagi ng isang industriyang ang pangunahing papel ay maging tagapagpamulat at tagapagbuklod ng sambayanan.

Sa huli, nagtapos ang unang semestre ng kasalukuyang taong panuruan nang walang nangyari–kung kailan kabubuo pa lamang ng pangkat na mamamahala sa TNP. At sa ngayon, lalabing-isang mag-aaral ang magtutuloy sa tradisyon ng matapang at responsableng pamamahayag. Kung tutuusin, maswerte na ang kasalukuyang pangkat dahil mas malaki ito kaysa nagdaang pamunuan na aanim lamang ang kasapi at dumepende sa mga kontribusyon mula sa ibang mga mag-aaral.

Oo at may pagkukulang rin ang mga bumubuo sa pahayagan ngayon. Hindi ito naging maagap sa pagkilos nito, at hindi nagamit ang iba pang paraan upang maipahatid sa mas nakararami ang tungkol sa TNP. Ngunit mas nakatulong kung mulat lamang ang mga mag-aaral tungkol sa pahayagang kanilang inaasahang lalabas nang regular. Kung sila ay tila inosente tungkol mismo sa TNP, paano pa kaya ang mas malalaking problemang panlipunan na haharapin ng mga mag-aaral?

Nakakabanas na isiping ganito na ang hitsura ng kolehiyong bantog sa pagiging ‘maalam, may pakialam.’ Naglalaho na nga bang unti-unti ang sinasabing ‘Tatak CMC’? Repleksyon na nga ba ito ng isang kolehiyong binubuo ng mga mag-aaral na pababa na nang pababa ang antas ng kamalayan sa mga nangyayari sa kanilang kapaligiran? Nasaan na ang aktibong pakikisangkot ng mga mag-aaral sa bawat pangyayaring makakaapekto sa buhay ng kolehiyo, ng Unibersidad, at higit sa lahat, ng bayan? Ang mga estudyante ng pangmadlang komunikasyon ay wala na nga bang pakiramdam? Manhid? Apatetiko? O sadyang nagbibingi-bingihan lamang?

Ito ang mga bagay na nagsisilbing hamon sa mga bumubuo ng lupong editoryal at mga kawani ng Tinig ng Plaridel. At ang kasalukuyang pamunuan ay gagabayan ng isang layunin: ang muling pagpapabalik ng karakter ng mga mag-aaral ng CMC – na maging maalam at may pakialam.

Bawat pahina ng bawat isyu ng TNP na lalabas ay maglalaman ng mga balitang masusing kinalap at sinuri ng mga kasapi nito. Iuulat nito ang mga pangyayaring nakakaapekto sa mga mag-aaral–sa lebel ng kolehiyo, ng UP, o pambansa man. Kalakip nito ang mga lathalaing patungkol sa mga isyu sa ating ginagalawang kapaligiran, at ang mga suliraning hinaharap ng industriyang kahahantungan ng mga estudyante–ang mass media. Ang mga pitak ng opinyon sa pahayagan ay lalakipan ng matapang na pag-aanalisa ng mga kasalukuyang isyu at suliranin. At upang mabalanse ang mga ito, magkakaroon ng mga seksyon na kung saan ay hindi lamang matututong bumuo ng kanilang sariling opinyon ang mga mag-aaral, kundi ang sila’y malibang at matuwa sa positibong paraan. Ang lahat ng mga ito ay nais maisagawa ng mga bumubuo sa TNP upang ibalik ang malaya, mapagpalaya at mapanuring kaisipan at karakter ng mga mag-aaral ng UP CMC.

At bilang tugon sa mga pagbabago ng kasalukuyang panahon, hindi lamang makikita ang Tinig ng Plaridel sa nakagisnan nitong anyo. Sapagkat ang dikta ng bagong henerasyon sa larangan ng midya ay ang konsepto ng pagsasaisa o convergence, magiging aktibo rin ang presensya ng pahayagan sa Internet. Inaayos na rin ang mga plano upang magkaroon ang pahayagan ng palatuntunan sa DZUP, ang opisyal na himpilan ng radyo ng Unibersidad. Palalawakin pa ng mga inisyatibong ito ang hangarin ng pahayagan na magsilbing instrumento ng malayang pagpapalitan ng mga kuru-kuro ng mga mag-aaral at maging ng mga guro at kawani ng kolehiyo na nais makisangkot sa usapang pampubliko.

Ngunit alam din ng kasalukuyang pamunuan ang mahalagang papel nito upang ituro ang responsableng paggamit ng midya bilang instrumento ng malayang pakikipagtalastasan. Dahil ang bawat pagkilos ay may kaakibat na responsibilidad na dapat gampanan, dapat na gabayan ang mga bumubuo sa TNP ng Philippine Journalists’ Code of Ethics, at ng sarili nitong kodigo ng mga etikal na katungkulan na bubuuin sa taong ito. Ang mga ito ay ipapakalat din sa mga mag-aaral upang kanila ring masuri kung nagagawa nang mahusay ng pahayagan ang mga tungkulin nito. Higit pa rito, walang sinusunod na saligang-batas ang publikasyon, at ito ay balangkasin at ayusin sa taong ito upang maging lalong maayos ang pagkilos ng mga kasapi ng TNP sa pagtupad sa kanilang mga responsibilidad.

Nagsisimula pa lamang ang laban para sa kasalukuyang pamunuan ng Tinig ng Plaridel. At hangad nito na mahubog ang mga mag-aaral ng Kolehiyo ng Pangmadlang Komunikasyon upang sila ay maging tunay na maalam at may pakialam. Sa ganitong paraan lamang mas lalong mapapalakas ang tinig–tinig ng isang matalino at matapang na bantay na tututol sa mga kamalian at kabulukang nangyayari sa kapaligirang kanyang ginagalawan.